


rhythm

by Svynakee



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Oneshot, Post-Canon, Prince Sidon's Great Escape: now in song format, Sidon is Teased, bad rhymes, gerudo vai outfit shenanigans, vaguely sexual dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-15 20:45:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13039074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Svynakee/pseuds/Svynakee
Summary: A travelling musician is plying his craft in Zora's Domain and debuts his new composition: Prince Sidon's Great Escape. The prince himself attends the performance, but the mysterious Hylian dancer accompanying the bard is a pleasant surprise...





	rhythm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skenandj](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skenandj/gifts).



> This fic heavily references the Zora Stone Monument tablets quest, or rather, one of the two addendum tablets. It's not really necessary to have found it to enjoy, though.

Sidon swept into the throne room, scales still shimmering from his swim up the waterfall, and bowed to his king. “All is peaceful, Father. There’s been no trace of Lizalfos or Bokoblin for months, and the last of the Octoroks have left our rivers.”

“That’s excellent news,” King Dorephan said with a hearty laugh. “No doubt we can thank your efforts these past few months for the peace.”

“It is only my duty,” Sidon replied. “And the Guard have done their part as well.”

“You deserve a good rest, Sidon. I had been hoping that you’d return quickly. We have a visitor.”

“Link?”

The king hummed thoughtfully at the way his son had stood up straighter when he spoke the Champion’s name, his eyes gaining a new sparkle of joy. He was old, and he’d seen much, and suddenly he recalled another red Zora who’d said the Hylian’s name with such joy…

“I’m afraid the Champion is busy these days,” King Dorephan told Sidon. And yes, there it was, an almost imperceptible slump in his shoulders, so small that it took a father’s caring eye to catch. “A Rito musician has been plying his craft in the square. His songs are proving very popular, if the applause that I can hear from so far away is any indication. It’d be a great favour to me if you would be my ears and listen in my stead.”

Sidon grinned. No doubt he understood his father’s true intentions. “Then I will excuse myself from my duties for a while, your majesty.”

He rushed off, leaping down the steps three at a time. King Dorephan chuckled to himself. For someone who was quick to charge into most things, his son seemed to be unusually slow when it came to his own feelings.  

* * *

 The sounds of the accordion drifted leisurely from the square, ebbing and flowing in waves of sweet sound. Sidon soon spotted the magician: a Rito with brightly coloured plumage and a large black beak, his wings expertly coaxing music out of his instrument. A crowd had gathered around him – Zora and Hylians, young and old, all listening to his song. When it ended they clapped and cheered enthusiastically.

The Rito bowed. And there was another person bowing; Sidon had not spotted them as they were much shorter than their partner and had been hidden by the crowd. As Zora respectfully parted to allow him a perfect view of the performers, Sidon saw that the Hylian was wearing odd clothing. A veil covered half of their face and most of their golden hair. A gem rested on their forehead, held there by a delicate golden chain. Their shoulders and stomach were bare – which Sidon had never seen before on a Hylian that wasn’t swimming or fishing. Pale skin contrasted with blue silk and Sidon found his eyes drawn to the Hylian’s bare flesh: their slender frame belied toned muscles that shifted with each graceful movement they made. As they bowed, golden bells on their wrists and ankles jingled merrily.

Blue eyes caught sight of the prince and the Hylian seemed to smile. They waved at him, waggling their fingers in a playful manner. Sidon was caught off guard by the gesture – something about the exposed skin made the gesture seem almost flirtatious.

No, wait, that was because of the way the dancer was fluttering their eyelashes at him. There was an answering flutter in Sidon’s chest and he chided himself for such a reaction. This person was an entertainer, putting on a show, and he was royalty. Of course he’d be the target of such displays. It had just been too long since travelling performers last made their way to Zora’s Domain. So Sidon ignored how those sparkling, teasing eyes had caused the blood to rush to his head and gave the Hylian a polite princely smile, regal and friendly yet suitably distant.

_We’re both performers in our own right, my mysterious guest._

It was then that the Rito stepped forward. “Your highness, it is an honour to be here. I am Kass, a musician by trade. I am making what you may call my debut tour; previously, I have sung songs taught to me by my master, but now I have begun showcasing my own compositions. Something small to indulge myself.”

“An indulgence? Rito Village is many miles from here, Kass, so please allow me to praise you for travelling so far and to welcome you to my father’s realm,” Sidon replied. “You speak of your performances as if they were selfish things for your own pleasure, and yet the smiling faces I see speak otherwise. The honour is mine! I implore you and your friend to continue plying your craft.”

“I would be happy to oblige.” Kass flexed his wings and smiled. “In fact, I have taken the liberty of composing a song in your honour, Prince Sidon.”

Only years of lessons on composure kept Sidon from wincing. The last thing he wanted was some stuffy ballad about his supposed greatness. He snuck a small glance at his sister’s statue. She had always been so elegant, so poised. The perfect princess. But Sidon himself had always found emulating her example difficult; he preferred to greet others loudly with a large smile, to speak with them as friends. The idea of being seen as some untouchable hero...

“It was written with the help of a close friend,” Kass continued. “It is something of an informal thing, unsuited for festivals and court performances. It was suggested that you may prefer it this way; a fun, simple thing for children to learn and friends to sing over the campfire.”

“Oh?” This time, composure failed him. Surprised at this welcome turn of events he mused, “This friend of yours must know me well!”

An unreadable emotion danced in the Rito’s eyes as he smiled. Readying his instrument, he said, “The without further ado, I will sing for you all one of my own compositions: ‘Prince Sidon’s Escape’. You are all quite welcome to sing along if you get the urge, and clap in time with my partner.”

Here, the veiled Hylian bowed again. They had no instrument. Instead they held a Zora spear in their hand; it was only a prop, with a blunted tip and a staff that was thicker than normal. Despite the unwieldiness of the added girth and the Hylian’s own short stature they wielded it with ease. Kass and his partner exchanged nods, and then the musician began.

It was an upbeat tune, one that made you want to move your feet, which the younger Zora were already indulging in. The dancer, however, was simply swaying their hips in time with the rhythm. And yet such a simple movement proved to be mesmerising enough in its elegance. The way the light moved along the golden chains wrapped around the dancer’s thin waist, the soft tinkling sound they made as they brushed against each other. And the way the dancer stared at him – right at Sidon, pinning him down with a look that told him they knew _exactly_ what effect they had on him.

Kass’ singing managed to break the prince out of his spell. Concentrating on the words allowed him some reprieve from the dancer’s hypnotic movements.

_‘It was a sunny day, in Hateno Bay_  
_Where the golden shore met blue waves_  
_That is where our tale took place_  
_It was Prince Sidon’s Great Escape!’_

Great escape? Sidon wracked his brains trying to figure out what the song could be referring to. Had he ever been captured? He couldn’t recall any instance of that happening. Hateno Bay… yes, he remembered travelling there often before Ruta’s return. The Zora often traded with the fishermen of Lurelin Village.

Now the dancer clapped twice and began move their arms, mimicking the rise and fall of gentle waves. The bells on their wrists jingled in harmony with Kass’ singing.

_‘The village there had nary a care_  
_Until they got quite a shock_  
_They could do nothing but stand and stare_  
_At the terrible Fell Octorok’_

Now Sidon remembered. Yes, the giant octorok that had attacked Lurelin Village. In truth, he’d forgotten much of the battle – if it could even be called such. People had generously called it a victory when in fact it had been a tie. It was an honour all the same that a Rito found the event worthy of committing to song. And, apparently, dance.

_‘Many were caught in the stones it shot_  
_It triumphed over all it fought_  
_And much destruction had been wrought_  
_Before Prince Sidon’s Great Escape!’_

The dancer clapped twice again. This time, some of the audience clapped with them. The dancer started to sway their hips, the chains shimmering and clinking, and there was something hypnotic in the way they moved. Something about watching the way the muscles on their bared abdomen shifted as they thrust their hips and chest out in a smooth, wavelike motion. They began to move around, twirling across the stone with light steps, the tapping of the spear and the stamping of their foot matching the rhythm of the song.

_‘It filled the sky, such was its size_  
_A powerful and cunning beast_  
_None could hide from its wicked eyes_  
_So it rampaged as it pleased’_

When the dancer turned to face Sidon again the prince saw that their efforts had left them flushed – what little of their cheeks that could be seen over the veil was rosy pink and the same tint powdered their bare shoulders. They would leap into the air with all the grace of a stag, bend like a sapling in the wind. And shake their hips so that the chains jangled frantically, a sight which left Sidon rather breathless.

_'Of the terrible news, and pleas for rescue_  
_Prince Sidon heard and couldn’t refuse_  
_Armed with spear tried and true_  
_Thus began Prince Sidon’s Great Escape!’_

The dancer clapped twice again and this time Sidon was sure he saw them flutter their eyelashes at him before they spun away once more.

_‘So our brave hero faced his foe_  
_Dodging every stone it spewed_  
_But then the Ocotorok swallowed him whole_  
_It seemed our Prince was through’_

With exquisite footwork the dancer twirled close to Sidon before darting away again, tapping in time to the song with their spear. Even through the mesmerising dance, something nagged at Sidon’s mind… those steps seemed almost like the movements of a warrior going through a set of spear techniques…

_‘But he put up a fight, with all his might_  
_And suddenly there was a light!_  
_The tip of a spear gleaming bright_  
_Such was Prince Sidon’s Great Escape!’_

Using the spear for balance the dancer leaned back, arching their back so that their eyes met and Sidon fancied he could see the emotion in them- but again, it lasted only a moment, a moment of sweat-slicked blonde hair and a strangely familiar jawline and a burning blue gaze.

_‘The octorok gave a squawk_  
_And spat the Prince to shore_  
_It didn’t stay around to gawk_  
_But left forevermore’_

The dancer’s vigorous performance had left their skin covered in a sheen of sweat, strands of golden hair sticking to the side of their face. Oddly enough, Sidon did not find it off-putting; quite the opposite in fact. That pale flesh now shone like scales. He watched as one slick droplet rolled its way lazily down the dancer’s face and felt the desire to wipe it away… with a finger… or perhaps something else. He shook himself.

_‘And forever since_  
_The Zora Prince_  
_Was known for his Great Escape!’_

With one final flourishing twirl the dancer ended their performance and stood there, their arm outstretched so that their open palm pointed at Sidon. They were panting, face flushed from their exertions, skin slick with sweat. Sidon watched the way their chest rose and fell with each breath and veil would flutter, so that Sidon could catch a glimpse of smiling lips and then there was a moment when a soft, pink tongue darting over them leaving them moist and-

The sound of applause snapped Sidon out of his haze. He joined in as Kass and the dancer bowed, thanking the audience and the prince for their attention. Sidon also spoke a few words of appreciation, his mouth running on automatic as his brain kept going back to _hips_ and _stomach_ and _legs_ and _mouth_. Oh, and tongue. He was definitely dedicating a lot of brainpower to thinking about that tongue, how soft, how wet, how good it would feel running up his-

“…glad that you approved of this song. I apologise for not asking for your permission before using you as a subject for it, but your friend assured me that you would not be offended,” Kass continued.

Sidon coughed. “Ah. Yes, my friend was entirely correct. It was a very pleasu- enjoyable performance. Please, if you are ever in the area, stop by again. I… we would be happy to welcome you anytime.”

The Ritos' beaks made it difficult to judge their expressions at times, but Sidon got the distinct feeling that Kass was giving him a knowing smile. With a final bow, the musician excused himself and announced the end of the day’s performance. The crowd groaned. People began to disperse.

Something made Sidon stay rooted to the ground even as the still-coherent parts of his brain insisted he get on with the day’s duties. Maybe it was the way his legs felt wobbly, as if he was standing on clouds. Maybe it was the tingling warmth in his stomach. Maybe it was because the dancer hadn’t followed Kass away and was still leaning against Mipha’s statue, apparently inspecting the spear in their hands.

Finally, the dancer looked up. Blue eyes met Sidon’s own. And now that they were alone the Hylian didn’t bother to hide what Sidon had suspected: their half-lidded gaze was heady with desire, the heaviness of their breath clearly not just from their energetic dancing.

“That was quite a marvellous performance you gave,” Sidon said. The words came out in a low rumble, almost a purr, and Sidon would have been embarrassed at how badly he’d failed to hide his feelings if it wasn’t for the way the dancer gasped at his tone. At the way their blush deepened, at the way their eyes widened, at the way they took a step towards him as if they wanted to hear more. Sidon grinned; as a prince, he should never disappoint a guest. He knelt on one knee so that they could speak face to face – and it had the added benefit of letting Sidon take in the dancer’s scent, which, beneath the floral fragrance of perfume, revealed something interesting. The prince’s mind was made up, however. Sidon carefully cupped the man’s chin in his palm and told him, “Such artistry merits rewarding.”

The dancer leaned into his touch, one hand stroking his forearm fin. Such a gentle, _teasing_ touch. And Sidon could feel the calluses on the man’s fingers, see the scars on his shoulders and waist that had previously been cleverly hidden by paint and powder. That all but confirmed his suspicions. Now he wished to _lay bare_ the man’s identity all the more.

“Do you have any,” Sidon lowered his voice to a murmur, “ _requests?”_

Slender fingers pulled the veil away as Link said, “I want you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Things I will never do again: commit to a rhyming scheme while trying to reference another text.


End file.
